3 Common Mistakes You Might be Making That Can Mess With Your Life

I realised over the holiday break that I had been making some very common mistakes when it came to my relationships, health and life. You could be making the exact same mistakes, all of which can have lasting implications.

In our effort to see the big picture, we can overlook some of the simplest things that can negatively impact our lives.

Here are three thoughts to mull over and take action on.

Don’t assume

Between Christmas and New Year, I was feeling a tad flat.

During this time, I was tempted to call one of my close friends. I’d been wondering how her Christmas went and wanted to speak to her. Yet I didn’t call her. I assumed she would be out socialising with her friends and I didn’t want to interrupt her.

I assumed she was having a great time over the holiday break.

Eventually we did speak to each other and I realised I should have rung my friend a lot earlier.

She wasn’t out having a great time as it turned out.  My assumption had been completely wrong.  In fact, she had been struggling with some negative feelings over the holidays.  After talking over the phone, we lifted each other’s spirits and arranged to meet up the next day.

What could you be assuming that might not be true?  What scenario could be completely different from what you think it is? If possible, find out for yourself – don’t assume.

Don’t put off health related issues

While I have worked hard to stop myself procrastinating over work issues, there is one area where I still struggle. Actually the word struggle is probably being kind. I am terrible at taking care of certain aspects of my health.

If I have an immediate health issue, I am proactive and get the problem looked into as soon as possible.  When I suffered through a bout of vertigo last year, I didn’t waste any time getting myself to a specialist.

When it comes to getting tests done however, it’s a completely different story.  I procrastinate. Then I procrastinate some more.

My procrastinating actually contributed to a rather stressful Christmas.  I had put off getting some tests done and the worry was starting to catch up with me.

Often it is the worrying about the test, that is far worse than the test itself or even getting the results. After Christmas I decided I had procrastinated enough and booked in for the first available appointment.

If you are overdue for some tests or checkups, don’t put them off. Book in and get things taken care of.

Don’t be stubborn about asking for help

Just before Christmas I had a rogue virus on my laptop. It was the second serious virus on my laptop in less than six months. Clearly my virus protection was inadequate. I was distraught. I was desperate for help and information from a trustworthy source.

After telling my Mum about my situation, she recommended I call a friend of hers who has his own computer company. She gave me his number and asked me to give him a call.

I later found out that my Mum also gave him my number since she thought I would be too pigheaded to ask for help.

While I admit that I can be stubborn at times, I literally hung up from my Mum and called him immediately. I knew I needed help and I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity.  Because I can be stubborn, she wrongly assumed (there are those nasty assumptions messing things up again) that I wouldn’t reach out for help.

I not only reached out, I took every single piece of his advice and now thankfully have a reliable Internet security system and a functional laptop.

Do you sometimes struggle because you are too stubborn to ask for help? Put that behind you and resolve to reach out and seek assistance when required.

Sometimes it can be the ordinary day to day issues that hold us back and mess with our future.  Don’t let any of these common mistakes mess with yours.

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This post was written by...

Thea – who has written 265 posts on Write Change Grow.

Hi! Welcome to my blog.  I'm a freelance writer and blogger. For more Write Change Grow goodness, sign up for my free newsletter.  You can connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.

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